China accuses US of toeing its own 'Cold War mentality'

ANKARA

China on Thursday condemned the US for being a "source of tension" by exploiting issues on the Korean Peninsula.

In response to US President Joe Biden's latest remarks that a nuclear attack by North Korea on the US or its allies would "result in the end of whatever regime," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning accused Washington of toeing its own "Cold War mentality" during a press conference in Beijing.

"I would like to stress that the issues concerning the Korean Peninsula are highly complex and sensitive. All sides need to grasp the crux of the issues and play a constructive role in their political resolution through dialogue and consultation, rather than deliberately create tension, stoke confrontation and hype up about threat," Ning responded to a question.

She contended that the US prioritizes its own geopolitical interests over the security of the entire region.

Beijing's reaction comes after a fresh agreement between the US and South Korea that aims to deter North Korea from using nuclear and ballistic missiles.

The deal billed as "The Washington Declaration" was announced on Wednesday as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol paid an official state visit to the White House.

During Yoon's visit, the two sides also agreed to resume US nuclear-armed submarine docking in South Korea for the first time in more than 40 years.

"The US has been a source of tension by exploiting issues on the Korean Peninsula," China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, describing Washington's behavior as a "result of its Cold War mentality."

"What the US has done stokes bloc confrontation, undermines the nuclear non-proliferation system and hurts the strategic interest of other countries. It has also increased tensions on the peninsula and jeopardized regional peace and stability," she said.

This, she added, is the "very opposite of the goal to denuclearize the peninsula and we are firmly against this."

Earlier this month, the US Department of Justice announced that 44 people had been charged in connection with a "transnational repression scheme" targeting Chinese nationals living in the US, including the New York metropolitan area.